NEWS_LONDON LAUNCH - EYE OF THE COLLECTOR I A New Fair for a New Era I London I 17-20 May 2023 I By Nazy Vassegh

 
 
A NEW COLLECTING
EXPERIENCE 
Eye of the Collector's inaugural edition was recently held in September 2021 in London. A celebration of connoisseurship spanning 6000 years of history, the boutique fair presented select works of art and design carefully chosen in collaboration with participating galleries.

“It couldn’t be better, the location, the combination of artworks, and it is attracting very good collectors.”

​“The whole thing is a pleasure—when was the last time you thought that about a fair?”

 

 Juxtaposing contemporary and modern with ancient and traditional to create new dialogues, works were showcased as if in a collector's home encouraging new creative dialogues. A spirit of discovery and rediscovery lay at the fair's heart.  

 
 
On view were seminal works such as the early portrait in crayon and coloured chalk of Pauline Tennant by Lucien Freud (Thomas Gibson Fine Art). Works by Modern Masters included rare linocut prints from Picasso’s Jacqueline lisant series, with a complete set of working states for this subject (Frederick Mulder Ltd).

”Fantastic turnout and great quality clients”
...”people are enjoying the experience”
 
“Advisors and collectors said the fair felt like a special event“
 

“Why modern multi-millionaires are flocking to the London home of William Waldorf Astor“ 
 
 

A number of overlooked artists were showcased including Perle Fine, a contemporary of Rothko and a major figure of the New York Abstract Expressionist movement whose contribution has been significantly under-represented (Gazelli Art House).
 
Museum quality studio ceramics included Lucie Rie’s Bottle Vase with Flared Neck, 1972 (Oxford Ceramics Gallery), a sculptural work by Loewe Foundation Craft Prize winner Takayuki Sakiyama (Katie Jones) and the enigmatic Paper series of works by Su Xianzhong (Ting-Ying Gallery).

A new body of work was unveiled by Brazilian artist Gustavo Nazareno (Gallery 1957). Ancient Art included a 1st century AD torso of Bacchus, capturing the beauty of the divine male form (Ariadne), a Greek bronze helmet of Illyrian type, circa 6th - 5th century BC (Kallos Gallery) and an Egyptian bust of a nobleman or scribe, Late Dynastic Period, early 26th Dynasty, reign of Psamtik I, c.664-610 BC (Charles Ede).
 

Superb examples of mid-century design were presented including the extremely rare rosewood example of the Sleigh chair by Börge Mogensen for Tage M Christensen & Co. Contemporary (Modernity). Contemporary design included Rowan Mersh’, Asabikeshiinh VII (Dreamcatcher VII), (Gallery FUMI).
 

Iconic modern masterpieces included works by Andy Warhol and Keith Haring (Long-Sharp Gallery), Lucio Fontana’s Concetto spaziale, Attese, 1967 (Tornabuoni Art) and Barbara Hepworth’s Three Forms (Willoughby Gerrish).
 

New works commissioned especially for the fair included a bench by British designer Max Lamb (Gallery FUMI) and a site-specific installation in hand-carved deer antlers by Susie MacMurray (Pangolin London).
 
Embodying the fair’s experiential nature, Eye of the Collector invited visitors to take a moment to pause and reflect.

A NEW COLLECTINGEXPERIENCE

“It couldn’t be better, the location, the combination of artworks, and it is attracting very good collectors.”

​“The whole thing is a pleasure—when was the last time you thought that about a fair?”

Juxtaposing contemporary and modern with ancient and traditional to create new dialogues, works were showcased as if in a collector's home encouraging new creative dialogues. A spirit of discovery and rediscovery lay at the fair's heart.

”Fantastic turnout and great quality clients”...”people are enjoying the experience” “Advisors and collectors said the fair felt like a special event“

“Why modern multi-millionaires are flocking to the London home of William Waldorf Astor“

Superb examples of mid-century design were presented including the extremely rare rosewood example of the Sleigh chair by Börge Mogensen for Tage M Christensen & Co. Contemporary (Modernity). Contemporary design included Rowan Mersh’, Asabikeshiinh VII (Dreamcatcher VII), (Gallery FUMI).

Iconic modern masterpieces included works by Andy Warhol and Keith Haring (Long-Sharp Gallery), Lucio Fontana’s Concetto spaziale, Attese, 1967 (Tornabuoni Art) and Barbara Hepworth’s Three Forms (Willoughby Gerrish).

A NEW COLLECTING
EXPERIENCE

“The whole thing is a pleasure—when was the last time you thought that about a fair?”

”Fantastic turnout and great quality clients”
...”people are enjoying the experience”

“Advisors and collectors said the fair felt like a special event“